Simple Never Lasts
by Ellie1
Summary: I swear to God I have the second chapter pretty much done! Give me another week or so! Ahh! ::hits self:(6x9 main, a little 1xR now, I'm just getting into some 5xS) Just as Zehcs and Noin are getting together, something happens. (no character death! E


Simple Never Lasts  
Part 1/let's hope not too many  
Pairing: 6x9 mainly, but there is 1xR in this  
Author: Ellie  
Beta: Meowzer (<-a goddess who has saved me many times of my own redudancies, both in fic, and elseware)  
Notes: This was *supposed* to be a one shot, but the Chitterng Little Monkey had other plans.  


* * *

  
"What?" Zechs asked, feeling the adrenalin surge through his blood.  
  
"Heero and I are getting married." Relena said, feeling quite giddy, but silently praying that her brother would approve.  
  
"Married? Heero? You? Together?" he stuttered, not noticing a woman creeping up behind him.  
  
"Noin!" Relena exclaimed. "Did you hear?"  
  
"Yes! Oh this is so wonderful!" Noin was so happy, she almost forgot about Zechs when she pulled the vidphone towards her. "Do you have any plans yet, or did it just happen?"  
  
"Just happened!"  
  
Zechs felt sick as Noin grilled his sister for information. They would chat for a bit, and then break out into squeals and awws. He slowly got up and staggered to his quarters, where he collapsed onto the cot. A few minutes later, there was a pounding on the door. "What?" he spat out.  
  
"Can I come in?" Noin asked.  
  
Zechs grunted response, and Noin she opened the door and sat on the side of the cot. "Please be happy for them. Did you even see how pleased Relena was?"  
  
"I don't trust him with her."  
  
Noin sighed. "Zechs, don't be an ass. They survived the war, peace, and each other. They're in love, they have been for years-you would have seen that if you were paying attention. I know it's hard for you to believe, but Heero has grown out of the shell of an assassin. *He* asked *her*." She sighed again; this strategy wasn't working. "They are going to do it whether you like it or not, so get over it!"  
  
He was startled by her tone of voice, but she did have a point. "If he hurts her, he will die," Zechs said after he sat up.  
  
She laughed, and looked into his frosty blue eyes. "She wants me to be her Maid of Honor, and I've accepted. She'd also like you to walk her down the aisle."  
  
He looked to the wall, and thought for a bit, "I'll call her."  
  
"Good." She smiled and stood up so he could get off the cot.  
  
Over the next month, Noin worked with Relena on all the plans, and finally it was the day to go get the clothes.  
  
"Come with me, please! I don't want to go alone, and I want you to help me pick the dress out. Besides, you have to get yours there too." Noin begged Zechs.  
  
"If you want me too, I will." Zechs groaned out.  
  
"Great! We can go now." She grabbed his arm and pulled him from the seat.  
  
"Why now?" he asked, following her.  
  
"So we can look now, and make our decisions later."  
  
'Why does she always make sense?' He asked himself, gladly seeing her happy for a change.  
  
When they arrived at the shop, a slightly older woman came up to them. "You two look wonderful together! Are you just looking around for ideas, or do you have an appointment?"  
  
Both of them blushed, "Excuse me?" Zechs asked hesitantly.  
  
"Oh, are you not getting married? It's just that…you look so close to each other…I'm so sorry about that!"  
  
Zechs blushed again, and looked to Noin, who was smiling. 'She's not embarrassed... Could she...?'  
  
"It's ok, ma'am. We're going to be in Relena Peacecraft's wedding, and we need to get our outfits. She and Heero are registered for the gowns and tuxedos here, aren't they?" Noin aked calmly.  
  
"Ms. Relena! Yes! I remember when she and her fiancé came in here, let me go get their file. Feel free to look around until I get back." The woman scurried off to the back room.  
  
"So, see anything you like?" Zechs asked, trying to see how Noin would react.  
  
She smiled at him, "Well, I did see something, but I wasn't really looking."  
  
"Show it to me, I've never been shopping with you, so I'd like to know your tastes."  
  
'Oh why is he doing this? Is he suggesting something?' Noin's heart raced as she showed Zechs the dress she had seen when she walked in. It was plain white satin with spaghetti straps that led down to a low cut loose fitting V-neck cut in the front. The dress itself was loose, but not bulky.  
  
"It suits you." He said quietly, imagining her in it. 'Say something longer than a sentence you fool.' He screamed to himself. "Plain suits you, Lucrezia, your beauty is more than enough to please. You don't need anything but yourself." He whispered in his deep monotone that somehow sounded so full of emotion.  
  
'Lucrezia? He just called me Lucrezia. Zechs, you suggestive bastard!' Noin wanted to slap him then kiss him senseless, but then realized what else he had just said. 'Beautiful? He thinks I'm beautiful? What are you trying to tell me Zechs?' "Really?" She asked, but before he could respond, the woman got back.  
  
"If you will come with me, I can show you the designs Ms. Relena has picked out. You may choose whichever you want."  
  
Zechs and Noin followed her, each lost in thought. In the back, there were two racks, one of dresses, and the other tuxedos. "Take as much time as you need, and if you would like to try something on, just ask me and I will find it in your size."  
  
They thanked her, and set to work looking at the clothes. Finally, Noin picked something out. "Zechs, what do you think of this?" she asked, holding it up to herself.  
  
It was almost exactly like the other one, but with a less baggy skirt and a kick slit up the side. "You should try it on." He then pulled a tux off the rack, and showed it to her. "What do you think of this?"  
  
Noin laughed, "You should try it on." She went and peaked her head out of the room and ushered the woman in.  
  
"Wonderful! You both found something! What are your sizes?"  
  
After the clerk came back with the correct sizes, they walked into the fitting rooms, and began the work getting into the formal attire. After a bit, Noin as getting frustrated at the long zipper in the back. "Hey, Zechs, you decent? I need a little help."  
  
Zechs was stepping into the pants when she said it. He lost his balance and crashed into the side of the small room.  
  
"You ok in there?" she asked, trying not to giggle.  
  
He regained his footing and slipped the pants on quickly. "Ya, I'm coming out." He unlocked the squeaky latch and opened the door to see Noin in the dress, but having to hold it up.  
  
"Can you zip this thing up for me?"  
  
"S...sure..." Zechs knew he was beet red, but complied. Noin turned around to reveal that the zipper started slightly below her waist and went up to the middle of her shoulders. 'Did she take off her bra?' he thought, looking at her bare back, and slowly reached out and zipped the dress, enjoying the view as he went up. "All done."  
  
"Thanks." Noin turned around and couldn't believe that she hadn't noticed before. Zechs only had on the pants. She found herself staring at his uncovered chest, and quickly looked away, blushing. "I'll...uhh...let you finish, I need to get some other stuff while I am here." Noin hastily retreated over to the woman who was helping them.  
  
'She is so beautiful. Zechs, you are a bloody fool for not telling her yet.' he mentally stomped on himself and then went back in to finish getting dressed.  
  
"Do you need anything else?" the sales woman asked Noin.  
  
"Yes, do you know of any good places where I can get some lingerie, shoes, and my hair done?"  
  
As Noin wrote down the names and directions, Zechs walked out and watched her laugh and chat with the other woman.  
  
"Thanks again. Now, about this dress, I think I'll go with this one."  
  
Zechs walked up next to her, "I've made my decision too."  
  
The woman smiled, she hadn't failed to notice the zipper situation that occurred earlier. "That was fast, usually it takes a while. You can go ahead and change out of them, and then I can check you out up here. It will be billed to Ms. Relena's account, so you needn't worry about paying."  
  
Noin walked back with Zechs partially sulking behind her, "You don't mind undoing this thing for me, do you?"  
  
'Is she trying to kill me?' Zechs struggled with his urge to go up, rip the dress off, and kiss her so deeply it hurt.  
  
They changed back into their regular clothes, and checked out.  
  
"So, Noin, do you want to grab some lunch before we get back?" Zechs asked, trying to put on a smile for her.  
  
"I can't. I have some other things that I need to buy."  
  
"You do? Like what?"  
  
Noin blushed a bit and looked forward, but with her eyes leaning toward him. "Just...things."  
  
Zechs recognized the please-don't-ask-for-details tone of voice. "Ok, call me when you get home."  
  
"I will, and this is where I have to get off at. See you later, Zechs." She turned left at the intersection.  
  
Zechs watched her go, and smiled a bit. He loved to watch her when she didn't know she was being watched. She was just Noin, not a soldier or bodyguard, but a woman. Deep down he could see the feminine side of her, even though she tried to hide it from everyone around her. 'Lucrezia, do you know my heart? It is cold to the world, yet perpetually scorching for you. Do you know what you do to me? Pasts be damned, let me be with you. Let me love you. Would you let me do that, Noin? Would you open your heart to me as I did to you? Or is it already opened and waiting for me? I can survive torture of any kind, but I can't live through not being with you.'  
  
Slowly, Zechs hailed a cab and went home. He walked to his apartment on instinct, not thinking where he was going, or even that he was walking. The keys seemed to unlock the door by themselves. He threw the box onto the bed and sat down. Staring at the seemingly innocent dresser drawer, he walked up and opened it. Zechs fished through some clothes until he found a small box. The top lifted and revealed a simple yet elegant gold ring with a small diamond embedded in the band. 'Just like you.' He thought, and pulled it out.  
  
He went into the living room and fell back into a chair, fiddling with the ring. Eventually, his heart breaking once again that the metal band was not on the finger it was made for, he put it back in to the box beside the lamp. When he finally fell asleep, no dreams came. A fact he was happy for, because when he dreamt, he saw his beloved with another. If it was a premonition or just his mind telling him to ask her before it was too late, he didn't know. But what he did know what that it was most certainly a nightmare.  
  
* * * * *   
  
Zechs was madly hitting controls on the consol while the beeping was warning him that something was wrong with the ship. "No! Not now! Not until--" He was cut off when the ship blew up. The beeping didn't stop as his eyes snapped open to see the blurred form of his vidphone with an incoming call on it. He trudged out of bed and hit the receive button with his balled fist.  
  
"Zechs! Good, you're there. I was getting worried."  
  
He rubbed his eyes trying to get them to not be blurry, "What?"  
  
"You told me to call you when I got home. I just got home. Zechs? You in there? Hello? Noin to Zechs, wake up!"  
  
He plopped down into the chair and stared at her smiling face. Then the memories of the day hit back into his mind. "Sorry, I just woke up. I wanted to ask if you would like to come over for dinner."  
  
"Sure! I'd love to! You going to cook, or order?"  
  
"I'm not sure, I'll have to look at what I have."  
  
"Okay, should I bring something?"  
  
"No, thanks. I've got it covered, or at least I will."  
  
"I'll trust you on that. When should I come over?"  
  
"In an hour or so."  
  
"See you later." Noin winked and saluted him, then ended the link.  
  
Zechs sat up and went to he kitchen and started scouting for food.  
  
<1 hour later>  
  
The buzzer rang just as he was finishing up with the rice. Zechs wiped off his hands and hit the intercom button.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Guess who!"  
  
Zechs laughed a bit and hit the button that would let Noin inside the apartment building. Sooner than expected, there was a knock. He went over and let her in. "You're fast."  
  
"I've had to keep up with you for the past 3 years, haven't I?" Noin said and then pause, sniffing. "Something smells good, what are you making?" She walked into the living room and plunked herself into the chair that Zechs had been sleeping in earlier.  
  
He walked back into the kitchen without noticing where Noin was sitting, "I need to finish up the food."  
  
Noin sat in the big chair content to be within Zechs' domain. She looked around and spotted something on the table. 'What's this doing here?' She grasped the box and opened it. "My god..." She breathed out.  
  
"It will be ready in 15--oh no..." Zechs said, then stopped a few feet in front of her. "You weren't supposed to see that..."  
  
Noin smiled and took the ring out and examined it closer, "Who is she, Zechs?"  
  
Zechs' jaw went crashing to the floor, "Umm..."  
  
She laughed a bit until she saw the engraving on the inside of the band. '_Lucrezia, my love_,' it said, and Noin choked. "So, I guess this is why I didn't hear about her." She managed to whisper.  
  
Zechs decided it was time to tell her everything; he knelt in front of the chair with his head bowed. "Lucrezia, I got that ring years ago."  
  
"Why?" Noin asked, still a little unsure if she wanted to know the answer.  
  
Zechs looked up to her, then back down, afraid of her gaze. "Because I have loved you since the first day we met, and I hoped that someday we could be together and maybe get married."  
  
"Why haven't you told me this before?"  
  
"I...was afraid of how you would react. I'm not sure if you think of me as just a good friend or...more."  
  
Noin slid off the chair so that she was eye to eye with Zechs. She pulled his head up and kissed him gently. He wrapped his arms around her and pushed into the kiss. When they finally broke apart, Noin picked up the ring and slid it on her finger. "I love you Zechs, I always have, and I always will."  
  
Zechs stared-he couldn't believe it. This moment had been in his dreams for years, and now it was coming true. It wasn't exactly as he pictured, but he didn't want to tempt fate into taking it away. He grasped her hand, and ran his fingers over the ring that somehow fit perfectly. They leaned forward to kiss each other, but as soon as their lips touched, something exploded.  
  
******  
TBC, and no, it wasn't dinner.  
  



End file.
